It is a widely known fact that starting a business is risky. One wrong step, and your empire can fall in no time. There are so many things to handle. From pre-planning until the beginning of operations, the owner has to prepare for all of it. In such stressful times, all entrepreneurs need is a responsible and supportive team of employees working for them.
A great team realizes your business’ purpose, works together for healthy idea generation, and aims for great results. Finding employees who show ownership towards their tasks is a difficult process. A businessman needs to find the right kind of people for the job. However, an even more difficult task is to manage them properly. It is the owner’s responsibility to keep employees motivated and productive. They have been hired because you see potential in them. But this potential needs to be fostered and polished to make them a good fit for your company. How can this be achieved? Let’s look at a few tips for managing employees in your startup.
Acquire a qualification that prepares you for this
This is equivalent to preparing for a test. Whenever one needs to do a job perfectly, prior training can make the task so much easier. To ensure all bases are covered before diving into this venture, completing an MBA in Human Resources degree online program can prove beneficial. Such programs help you develop advanced leadership skills, take an analytical approach to business problems, and prepare you for working in a competitive global market. Human resource management is the perfect skill to have to ensure your dream team is managed the right way.
Communicate mission and objectives
It is important for entrepreneurs to properly explain what they want from the business. So, your aims should be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-based). Formulating a mission statement and setting clear objectives is one part of the story. The other is to bring these things into your employees’ knowledge in comprehendible ways.
Moreover, telling your workforce the expectations you have from them will give them a clear direction. If your employees do not understand the main goals of the business, they will remain confused and will get demotivated. A sense of purpose motivates employees to not only be productive, but also efficient. Start with conducting a meeting to discuss your expectations, the business’ goals, and its mission.
Orientation before anything
It is human nature to take time to settle in a new environment. Giving your employees the time to get to know the workplace and their colleagues will be beneficial in making this process easier. Conducting an orientation day will be a great opportunity for you to get to know your employees better while they become familiar with the environment and their roles in the office. Managers who hand their employees loads of work on the first day are a thing of the past.
Orientation will also provide you with the perfect chance to observe the informal nature of each of your employees. This information can be beneficial when it comes to task delegation. Knowing each employee’s interest and nature, you can delegate tasks that fit their personality and skills. Using people’s skills to get work done smartly is always essential for running a startup effectively.
Keep your doors open
Maybe not literally but metaphorically. Communication does not end after the discussion of aims. To manage your employees correctly, you should engage with them often. Visit their stations to get updates or call them to your office to go over their progress. Getting their opinions and including them in decision-making will make them feel like a valuable employee in your organization. This is a great way to motivate them to be productive. Great communication is a two-way road to perfect employee management.
Schedules are important
Making proper timelines is helpful when it comes to measuring progress made by employees. People also work better when they are working according to a schedule. This ensures all operations are running smoothly. Set a deadline for each task and project to make employees more productive.
Balance praise and criticism
Anything in excess can be harmful. The same is the case with praise and criticism. Always responding with praise can make your employees lousy. The desirable behavior is less likely to continue when earning appreciation is so easy. On the other hand, too much criticism can also give the impression that you are too difficult to impress and unsatisfied with everything. This will demotivate your employees to even try performing well, knowing that it will be met with a negative response.
This does not mean you have to lie to your employees. Learning the art of understanding when and how to respond is the key ingredient.
Inform them about interchanging roles
Startups are usually low on capital. In such pressing times, it is not wise to hire many employees. In such cases, both you and your employees should be ready to be flexible. For example, your accountant may have the appropriate know-how required to run your social media pages. Hiring a social media manager might not be a great idea when you’re struggling with finances. Let the accountant express themself on social sites.
Trust them
According to Douglas McGregor, all managers lie under either one of the two theories – theory X and theory Y. Theory X managers believe their employees are lazy, they do not want to work or have responsibilities, and must be strictly controlled. In comparison, theory Y managers believe the complete opposite. This makes a substantial difference in how they treat their employees.
To manage employees in this era, choosing theory X is the right thing to do. Your new hires have been selected for a reason. Believe in their capabilities, expect them to take responsibilities, and fulfill them.
Trusting them with tasks, decisions, and projects will improve the quality of work they present. An office culture like such will lead to your employees’ professional and personal growth. Micromanagement and hyper-supervision is a blend that kills creativity.
Conclusion
The bottom line is to adapt to newer managing techniques. Decentralization, appreciation, and flexibility are major requirements in today’s business world. The end goal is not just to take help from your employees to have a flourishing business. It is also to benefit your employees by giving opportunities for individual growth and character development while they work for you. Ensure it is a fruitful experience for them – one they do not want to leave. It will help you retain your employees for a long time and drive your startup t success.
Source: Plato Data Intelligence: PlatoData.io
